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Report a wildfire: If you see a wildfire in a forested area call 310-FIRE (3473)
Overview
Prescribed fires are the knowledgeable and controlled applications of fires on a specific area to accomplish planned and well-defined resource management objectives. These fires are applied under select weather conditions and managed in such a way as to minimize smoke and maximize the benefits to the site.
The provincial prescribed fire program is a proactive approach to wildfire and forest management. By removing fine fuels in open areas, prescribed fires help reduce the size and intensity of future wildfires that potentially threaten:
- human life
- communities
- watershed and sensitive soils
- natural resources
- infrastructure
The Government of Alberta works with community partners and stakeholders to identify key areas for prescribed fire operations and works to achieve the shared objectives in a safe, efficient and mutually beneficial manner.
Prescribed fires are carefully selected by wildfire management staff. Fire has shaped Alberta’s forests for generations both through natural wildfire and traditional burning practices.
Current projects
Ribbon Creek Prescribed Fire
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Overview
A prescribed fire is planned for the Ribbon Creek drainage area in Kananaskis Country.
The goals of the prescribed fire are to:
- create a fuel break to help protect nearby communities and infrastructure from the threat of wildfire
- restore and improve wildlife habitat for a variety of species
- reduce human-wildlife conflict
- reintroduce natural restoration benefits of wildfire to the area
Smoke is a reality with any fire. Prescribed fires require a specific set of conditions to achieve the goals of the project. Daily operations will always consider atmospheric and smoke venting conditions and every effort is made to minimize smoke impacts.
To reduce the impact on visitors and businesses in the area, project operations will pause on weekends and holidays.
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Benefits
The Ribbon Creek Prescribed Fire will reintroduce wildfire in a controlled manner to help maintain, restore and protect the area’s recreation, tourism and ecological values. The last major wildfire in the Evan Thomas area was in 1936. Since then, there has been an accumulation of forest fuels leading to a very high risk of severe wildfire. This prescribed fire will establish a fire break in the area to help protect communities, resources and infrastructure in the immediate vicinity and may help prevent a potential wildfire from moving down the valley. It will also create an area from which firefighters can work should a wildfire occur in the area.
Another benefit is the improvement of habitat for a variety of wildlife species. This project will have almost immediate benefit for bighorn sheep, bears, ungulates and other species. It will also improve human-wildlife coexistence in the valley by drawing wildlife species away from more populated areas where conflicts may occur.
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Location
The Ribbon Creek Prescribed Fire is located in the Ribbon Creek drainage in Kananaskis Country, south of the Nakiska Ski Area and west of Kananaskis Village within the Evan Thomas Provincial Recreation Area and Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park. The project size is approximately 8,000 hectares; however, it is being broken into several subunits. Our operations this year will focus on approximately 260 hectares. The area is comprised of spruce, lodgepole pine and grassland meadows.
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Area closures
The area immediately surrounding the prescribed fire will be closed to public access while operations are underway. Durations of closures will be kept to a minimum. This will impact hiking trails within the perimeter and any that are directly adjacent to prescribed fire operations. Roads and highways are expected to remain open. There may be short-term speed reductions.
View trail reports and advisories before you head out.
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Timeline
Before any main unit ignition will take place, a suitable guard will be established. The guard establishment involves some cutting of vegetation as well as burning the tops of trees along the boundary and approximately 10 to 20 m into the prescribed fire unit. Ideal conditions for guard establishment are in early to mid-spring when the tops of the trees are snow free, but ample snow remains on the ground.
Main unit ignition requires warmer and drier conditions. It is expected that the main unit operations would be underway in late summer into fall. If appropriate conditions present earlier in the summer, fire managers will take advantage of the opportunity and may begin main unit ignition. These operations would utilize a combination of ground and aerial ignition and will involve more personnel, equipment and aircraft.
Pelican Mountain Prescribed Fire
Contact
Information line: 1-866-394-3473 (FYI-FIRE)
Media inquiries: 780-420-1968
Email: [email protected]
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